Maharashtra government to approach Supreme Court on Maratha reservations

Mumbai: Maharashtra government on Saturday decided to approach Supreme Court after Bombay High Court stayed the move to grant 16 percent reservation to Marathas in public service and educational institutions in the state.

The decision was taken at an all-party meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis here. "The state government on Saturday assured us that it will approach SC against the interim ruling of the HC," Shiv Sangram leader Vinayak Mete told reporters after the meeting. "The government will approach SC next week," he added.

The BJP government in the state will be behind Marathas and Muslims, Mete added. Former Congress minister Naseem Khan who, too, attended the meeting, said, "The government will constitute an all- party committee on the issue of reservations for Marathas and Muslims.

"The state government is fully supportive of the Maratha quota. We will appeal in SC on the HC ruling. We will take measures to ensure that the quota remains," Fadnavis had said on Friday, reacting to the HC ruling.

"If the court has pointed out any discrepancy in the law, we will remove any lacunae in it during the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur," the chief minister had said.

The high court on Monday stayed the implementation of the controversial decision of the erstwhile Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra to provide 16 per cent reservation to Marathas in government jobs and educational institutions announced ahead of the Assembly poll.

HC also stayed the decision to provide five per cent reservation to Muslims in government service but allowed quotas for them in educational institutions, citing "abysmally low" educational achievements and the need to draw the community into the "mainstream of secular education".